Commonwealth scholarships

Scholarships for students from selected Commonwealth countries

Please note: the availability of these scholarships (Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships) is determined on an annual basis and the outcome of the University’s latest application for funding, for the course starting September 2019, will not be known until February 2019. However, if the funding application is successful, all students who have been offered a course place and fulfil the eligibility criteria, will be considered for one of the awards and for any other scholarships for which they are eligible.

Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships provide the opportunity for individuals from low and lower middle income Commonwealth countries to study for a UK Master’s degree while living and working in their home country. The purpose of these scholarships, which are funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) is to contribute to the development needs of Commonwealth countries by providing training for skilled and qualified professionals in key development areas. Recipients of these awards are high-quality postgraduate students who wish to access training not available in their home countries, who want or need to remain in their home country while they study, and who have the potential to enhance the development of their home countries with the knowledge and leadership skills they acquire.

The Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships are managed by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) who work with UK universities to identify appropriate courses and recruit candidates. The availability of the scholarships is determined on an annual basis but Oxford University has been successful in securing funding for the Master’s in International Human Rights Law since 2012 and, together with contributions from a number of other donors, has been able to offer over 40 full scholarships to enable human rights advocates from eligible Commonwealth countries to undertake this course. We are particularly grateful to the Alistair Berkley Charitable Trust, Kellogg College and the Allan & Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust for their generous contributions to these scholarships in the past.

In previous years the scholarships have been open to candidates from selected African and South Asian Commonwealth countries but the University’s latest application for funding will include the following countries: